Entrepreneurs, not political gangs sustains development of a nation

BY SESHIE, STANLEY

THROUGHOUT the world, DEMOCRACY is touted as the best form of

governance system found by mankind. Probably because it guarantees

that intrinsic desire of man; freedom. Freedom is the condition or

state of being free. It is the power to think, speak and act without

externally imposed restrictions, especially intellectually. For this

overarching singular reason, democratic governance system properly

understood and practised readily brings development to the people than

any other governance system as the people make the proper and best use

of this freedom.

In other words, notwithstanding the critical decision-making roles of

leaders, the responsibility for the realization of the benefits of

democracy lies more with the people as followers than the people as

leaders of a nation.

So as a nation we must re-evaluate our understanding of what it means

to be democratic, especially in the context of the participatory

masses? It is time we go beyond limiting democratic freedom to having

the right to vote, to litigation, to freedom of speech among others

that probably might constitute the mission of democracy. We must

redirect our focus to the vision of democracy, which is intellectual

freedom to propel development.

A nation that has actualized the vision of democracy and not satisfied

with its mission is inundated with enterpreneurs; a group of

independently analytical thinking citizenry that are conceptually and

operationally adventurous for the development of the nation. Afterall

development is driven by the inclination to stamp something new, in

principle or practice onto society, that everyone in the long run

would embrace and apply to confronting problems locally and

nationally.

And that is, essentially the duty of entrepreneurs. It must interest

you to know that, despite the powers of government, a nation is

fundamentally developed by entrepreneurs and not necessarily the

government.

Governments only regularize the activities of nation by passing,

monitoring and enforcing laws to ensure fair play in the system of

players with different motives. And also, but more importantly

creating the enabling environment to ensure development. As a result

it is the increasing number of entrepreneurs in the enabling

environment of a nation and not the number of politicians, pastors,

priests, imams that are indicators of the potential developmental

possibilities of such nation. For this it is unfortunate that as it is

now and in the absence of the enabling environment, most people

especially the youths are gravitating towards politics assured by NPP

and NDC. And we all know why.

Of course, almost every multi-party democratic nation is dominated by

two parties. But such dominating two parties must necessarily be

united by the plight of the people, not just in theory but in practice

as in their contemplations to improving the peoples' conditions. The

trio of contemplations that underlies the activities of a nation,

though in different forms are IDEAS, EVENTS AND PEOPLE. How a nation

handles these defines their path to development or underdevelopment.

DISCUSSING THE PEOPLE

WE must discuss our welfare, demand for and contribute to its

fulfilment as a people in a democratic nation. What matters to the

teeming masses as in job opportunities, health and educational

institutions, motorable roads among others must constitute our

discussing the people.But GHANA is a nation likes to talk, talk and

talk about people. Unfortunately the wrong people; the politicians.

Yes, had we been talking about the welfare of the teeming masses and

not the politicians and parties, Ghana would not be polarized as it is

currently and seemingly irreversible.

In fact the national discourse of the supposedly educated and opinion

leaders are centered more on the political figures than the masses

making up the nation. And worst of all, the masses themselves are

equally busy talking about prophet this, priest that, imam this,

pastor this amist others, shockingly ignoring their national

situations to the "happiness" of these very masquerading "democratic"

politicians. In sum, Ghana is indeed religious nation....meaning, a

nation that talks about people only. And hardly any productive ideas

to back any meaningful actions.Just that the people talked about in

Ghana is the wrong people; the politicians.

DISCUSSION OF EVENTS AND IDEAS

Development is an institutional affair. For a democratic nation to

develop, institutions must be functional...implementing policies as

events here and there to the betterment of the people. In the pursuit

of the unending demands of the people, building of industries,

energy-generating facilities,judiciary centers, construction of roads,

health centers, educational centers and staffing all these key

institutions for the development of the nation, should form the bulk

of discussing events. Without such meaningful events here and there

saturating the country and yielding practical results, Ghana is far

from being satisfactory democratic nation, because democracy yields

results via its institutions.

When we listen, read and watch the content of most of our media as

representatives of the national discourse, it is clear that Ghana is a

democratic nation if and only if it means freedom of speech and

voting. Whilst we must certainly congratulate ourselves for always

having an almost peaceful and nearly free, fair and transparent

elections, we must remind ourselves that elections are not the end of

democracy. The freedom guaranteed by democracy must not be invested in

election only but must necessarily free the minds for the citizenry

to think and engage in discussion of ideas that will better their

conditions and the nation at large. Our educational institutions

especially the universities has a huge task to play, explicitly or

implicitly but forcefully in directing and shaping the national

discourse.Nations are developed by good and working ideas called

policies.

This means Ghanaians must take themselves as well as the education

system very serious. There is no nation that values the people and

understands their indispensable role in sustainability of development

and watch unconcerned as the mainstream national discourse descends

into obssession with religion and politicians and their parties.

Unless to the diabolical benefits of the politicians. No wonder the

Ghanaian democracy is capable of producing more political gangs than

entrepreneurs needed to sustain our development via their innovative

ideas. Development of a nation is fundamentally and intrinsically

driven by enterpreneurs.

And since entrepreneurs feeds on ideas, that means the nation must be

fertile socially and intellectually to engender them. As a matter of

fact, it is the nationalistic engagement of ideas that eventually

sprouts entrepreneurs, and not necessarily holding free, fair and

transparent elections that made such nations as America, Russia,

Germany, Britain and France. China, India, Malaysia, South Korea among

others are equally reaping the fruits of consciously moving their

people away from wasting time and energy on discussing politicians and

their parties to discussing the ideas and events that shall benefit

them nationally.

CONCLUSION

The difference between European and American democracies and that of

Africans has all to do with how they are handling the trio of

contemplations; the people, events and ideas, in the affairs of their

respective nations. Whilst others have created the enabling

environment freeing the denizen's minds, making them focus on ideas

and events in their national discourse, engendering more entrepreneurs

to sustain their development, the Africa democracy is freeing only the

mouth....where we talk, talk and talk about the politicians and their

parties.

In Ghana, it is about NDC and NPP, and worst of all is that our

democracy is now producing more political gangs as in Azorta boys,

Invicible forces and many unknown ones. Unfortunately, according to

most of our political scientists in the country, the uninspiring and

unsatisfactory achieving Africa democracies like that of Ghana, are

due to its youthfulness than the actual obssesion with politicians to

the neglect of the worsening conditions of the teeming masses on the

continent.

We cannot continue doing what others had long realized its futility

and be expecting to develop simply because Ghana is referred to as the

best democracy in Africa. No wonder we produce political gangs for our

elections, in lieu of entrepreneurs to initiate and sustain the

nation's development.

Email: seshiehanku@gmail.com

Whatsapp: 0508951323